What process occurs when refrigerant vapor turns into a liquid in the condenser?

The process that occurs when refrigerant vapor turns into a liquid in the condenser is known as condensation. During this phase, the vapor, which is a gas, releases heat to the surroundings as it cools down and transitions into a liquid state. This is an essential part of the refrigeration cycle, where the refrigerant absorbs heat within the evaporator, changes to a vapor, and then flows to the condenser. In the condenser, the refrigerant's thermal energy is expelled, allowing it to condense back into a liquid.

Understanding this cycle is critical for grasping how refrigeration systems maintain low temperatures, as it highlights the importance of heat exchange in both absorbing heat in the evaporator and dissipating it in the condenser. The other processes listed, such as evaporation, compression, and expansion, represent different stages of the refrigeration cycle that do not involve the direct transition from vapor to liquid within the condenser.